


sick day

by DoctorFitzy (KittooningMalijah)



Series: Hauntober 2020 [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Hauntober, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26794381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittooningMalijah/pseuds/DoctorFitzy
Summary: Deke is sick, so it's his assistant's job to, well, assist with it.
Relationships: Trevor Khan/Deke Shaw
Series: Hauntober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948561
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	sick day

**Author's Note:**

> for Hauntober day 3: "tea"

Deke stayed huddled under three layers of blankets while he groaned, his face hidden in the cool fabric of the pillowcase under his head as if that could help with his fever. For two days, he'd been stuck in bed, unable to go to work, and the only person he'd had any sort of contact with was his  _ assistant,  _ and that was only because he desperately needed someone to make sure he didn't die of starvation. If it was up to him, no one would have seen him like this.

Rolling onto his back, he groaned again and stared up at the ceiling while trying to ignore the ache in his muscles. It was rare, getting sick in his future, when everything was monitored and filtered so that there was no chance of some rare disease wiping out  _ the stock. _ The Kree relied on the human population too much, and losing them would mean disaster for their society - unfortunately, that meant his immune system wasn't used to anything at all, and one employee with a bad cold was all it took to do... well,  _ this. _

The bedroom door opened and he didn't even try to move, the weight of the blankets the only excuse he had if the topic of it came up. It wasn't like the illness he'd contracted was  _ bad, _ just that his body didn't know how to deal with it. But he did have someone who was perfectly capable of helping him through it all.

"I made tomato soup, and toast, so you have something solid, too. It's a little bland, but we shouldn't risk you having too much right now, in case more symptoms develop."

When the mattress sank with a bit of additional weight, he made himself look over at the man who had taken up the additional role of  _ caretaker  _ in these trying times. It felt silly, having someone in the apartment just to take care of him, but his assistant was willing, and it was better than suffering through it all alone. Slowly, Deke was able to push some of the blanket weight away so that he could sit up and accept the tray of food being presented to him. Even if it hadn't been as simple of a meal, he wouldn't have been able to taste much of it, anyway, not with the current state of his sinuses. "Thanks, Trevor..."

There was another, smaller cup next to the soup, steaming from the heat of its contents, and he leaned forward to see what was inside. He was about to open his mouth to ask when the answer came. "And I made tea. In case you weren't feeling up to food right now. That way you'll at least stay hydrated until your fever breaks."

Deke blinked once, twice, and then turned his head to look over at him again. There was a certain  _ gentleness _ in the other man's gaze that wasn't entirely familiar, something softer than the looks he was used to getting from SHIELD, and it made him feel warm in a way that had nothing to do with the fever still burning its way through him. There were times, in the office, when he wasn't sick, that he thought he saw the same look, but brushed it off a trick of the light or his own mind messing with him. They were barely friends, and seeing as  _ this _ was the only time they'd spent time together outside of work, he didn't want to get his hopes up.

But he was happy enough to sip at the tea, somehow perfectly sweetened with sugar and something else he couldn't quite place with his weakened sense of taste. The warmth, the kind that wasn't his fever, was persistent while he sipped at his small meal, and while he did manage a few bites of his toast, it went mostly untouched. He was aware of the constant, watchful presence at his side, but it didn't make him anxious or wary - having someone near when he felt so miserable made him feel...  _ safe, _ though the word being used in the context of someone he felt was still basically a stranger. Maybe that would change, if he survived whatever hellish experience this illness had to throw at him.

"Was the tea okay, Mr. Shaw? I added lemon."

So  _ that _ was the additional little something he tasted. It was good, and if there was a way to guarantee that he'd still have an assistant who was this competent, he would promote him in a heartbeat. "We're not at work, and I might be dying. I think you can drop the formalities for now and call me  _ Deke.  _ At least until I can get out of bed."

"Deke..." He seemed to be testing the word in his mouth, and a quick glance in his direction revealed a small, fond smile. At least, Deke hoped that the expression was a fond one. The last thing he wanted was to start forming some kind of rift between them when things were actually  _ good.  _ He didn't want to lose a potential friend by accidentally opening up  _ too much.  _ "Deke. Yeah, okay."

The tray was moved away from his lap when he was done eating, and he didn't have much of a chance to even try to get comfortable again on his own before the blankets were being moved back into place and tucked around him. With a relatively full stomach, Deke had his eyes closed almost immediately, willing to let sleep claim him as long as he had the chance to get caught up on rest.

"Hey, Trevor...? You're the best..."


End file.
